1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which digitally processes an input image and performs various image processing operations on the digital image data.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, digital color copying machines have become popular. In a copying machine of this type, a color original is color-separated and read in units of pixels, read image data are digitally processed, and obtained digital signals are output to a color printer, thereby creating a digital color hard copy. Since an apparatus of this type can digitally process image data, various image processes are available, and the application range in the field of color copy tends to be widened. In the image process modes, an output position of an image is shifted (FIG. 72A), a desired image area is extracted (FIG. 72B), only a color in a desired area is converted (FIG. 72C), a character or image stored in a memory is fitted in a reflective original (FIG. 72D), and so on.
Therefore, upon combination of various functions, a digital color copying machine can be easily applied to color planning reports, advertising posters, sales promotion references, design drawings, and the like.
However, since the prior art has no standard non-rectangular area generation means (for a circle, an oval, and the like). When trimming, masking, color converting, image synthesizing, or the like using a circular or oval pattern is to be performed (e.g., a reflective original image), an original must be cut into a desired pattern, adhered to a white paper sheet, and then read to designate an area, resulting in cumbersome and time-consuming operations.
A conventional color conversion technique, a technique in which a predetermined rectangular area in a color image is designated and a desired color portion in the area is converted to another color, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,765 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 120,820.
However, in the prior arts, since color conversion processing is executed within a rectangular area, the following drawbacks are posed:
(1) When a plurality of areas including a color to be converted are situated too closely to each other to be divided by rectangular areas, and color conversion processing is to be executed for one of the areas (FIG. 10), the desired image cannot be obtained.
(2) When color conversion is performed for an area consisting of multi-gradational colors, the detection width must be considerably increased, thus resulting in a conspicuous detection error. When the detection width is decreased to suppress these errors, even a desired portion of the image cannot be converted.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the conventional drawbacks in the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can easily designate a non-rectangular area.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can designate a non-rectangular area within a short period of time.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising input means for inputting image data, storage means for storing a plurality of non-rectangular area data, selection means for selecting the non-rectangular area data stored in the storage means, control means for reading out the non-rectangular area data selected by the selection means from the storage means in synchronism with input of the image data by the input means, and processing means for processing the image data in accordance with the non-rectangular area data selected by the selection means.
There is also provided an image processing apparatus comprising input means for inputting image data, generation means for generating a non-rectangular area signal on the basis of a predetermined coordinate designation, storage means for storing the non-rectangular area signal, control means for reading out the non-rectangular area signal stored in the storage means in synchronism with input of the image data by the input means, and processing means for processing the image data in accordance with the non-rectangular area signal read out by the control means.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can appropriately execute color conversion processing.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising detection means for detecting a specific color in an image on the basis of input image data, generation means for generating a non-rectangular area signal, and conversion means for converting the specific color detected by the detection means into another color on the basis of an output signal from the detection means and the non-rectangular area signal.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus having high-grade image processing and editing functions.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which has good color reproducibility.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a copying apparatus and a copying system having novel functions.
Other objects and arrangements of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.